Sustainability

The issues of sustainability and climate change have captured the campus with their reach extending from operations, to facilities, to teaching, to student organizations, to research, to service for the State, nation and world.

We have signed onto the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. It leads to a commitment to reduce carbon emissions. Our recent green house gas inventory concludes that the vast majority of campus emissions result from purchased electricity, on-campus steam and electricity generation, and transportation including commuting and air travel. Campus emissions in equivalent metric kilotons of carbon dioxide dropped from approximately 377 in 2003 to 352 in 2007 because our combined heat and power facility came on line and housing increased on and near the campus. The inventory will serve as a baseline for our Climate Action Plan. A draft of the Plan will be completed this fall and the final plan will be submitted to the national organization next September.

The campus is now officially designated as an arboretum with about 6,600 trees and more than 50 species. In front of the Robert H. School of Business the new William E. and Kathy Mayer Mall is a beautiful green space covered with trees and gardens that was formerly a parking lot. Robert H. Smith was the first donor to contribute substantially to the grounds of the campus and continues to do so. The Philip Merrill College of Journalism broke ground on the first LEED¹ Silver building on campus, the new Knight Hall. Our designation as an arboretum will aid expanding private support for our campus grounds and physical environment.

The recently completed Washington Quad renovation by residential facilities recovered a run-down area of campus by creating a new green space with soil produced from composted food. A storm water cistern, capturing rain water from residence hall roofs, will irrigate the plantings in front of five buildings. The three thousand tons of construction debris was recycled for use on other construction projects.

¹ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design